Gifts for New England Peakbaggers

Allison is the founder of trailtosummit.com which she began as a way to track and share her first round of the NH 4000 Footers. Now on round 5 (the first round for her dog Ruckus) she has been honored to have taken part of many people’s firsts. She is an experienced trail maintainer, speaker, and passionate member of the outdoor community. In New England, Allison enjoys trekking along the highest peaks, bushwhacking to less traveled areas, and has a fondness for sunrise and sunset trips. Outside of New England Allison has also thru hiked the John Muir Trail and explored mountains in the German and Austrian Alps, Israel, and the Azores. Her goal is to share her passion for hiking and backpacking with others, especially with women, to inspire them to experience the freedom of the trail!

If you know someone ready to take on the 4000 Footers, you may be looking for the perfect gift to help them get started on the right foot! If your hiker is already a good chunk of the way through or onto other lists, we have some great suggestions for you, too! These are gifts for New England Peakbaggers and most ideas are specifically for this region. If you’re not lucky enough to live in New England (a shame!), you can still get inspiration for a dedicated hiker in your life.

Gift a Guide Book

Those who are finishers or are close to it will likely want to move onto another list. To complete the New England 67 list, you will need the Maine Mountain Guide as well as the Long Trail Guide Book as all the 4ks in Vermont are along the Long Trail.

To add a personal touch, add a White Mountain bookmark, 4000-Footer Sticker, or write an encouraging note on the inside!

Pair it With a Map

To go with the guidebooks, you’ll need a good map. I prefer this map for the 4000 footers in NH as well as just about any other peaks in the White Mountains. It’s very detailed, but easy to read. It’s also waterproof!

The Long Trail has a great waterproof map for Vermont hiking. To hike in Maine, the Maine Mountain Guide comes with maps, but is missing the Rangeley area. This map provides that coverage.

Another mapping source is the White Mountain Guide Online site. You can subscribe $15 per year ($12 for AMC members). The feature I like to use is the custom mapping. You can create routes and save them as a PDF to print. It uses information from the White Mountain Guide Book for just about a step by step printouts. Great for leaving with a loved one before you go on a hike!

Help Them Gear Up

For a new hiker, the startup cost can be overwhelming. Check out my day hiking gear list for some inspiration! An experienced hiker always appreciates more trail snacks, clothes that are often worn, or a new pair of boots/trail runners. You’ll want to pay attention to any complaints or gear concerns as they will likely let you know what they’re eyeing next for gear!

Get Sentimental

When hikers aren’t on the trail, they’re often thinking about it! Here are some great 4000 Footer themed gifts to check out.

Give some swag- between 4k printed glasses, ornaments, and shirts, AMC has dozens of great gifts

Go For What Works

Of course, you can choose to be practical. A White Mountain Recreational Pass is a great help for someone who frequents the trail as they won’t need to pay the $3.00 fee at the parking lots that require it.

You can also go the reliable route with a gift card. This could be to Amazon or a favorite outdoor store like REI or Eastern Mountain Sports. A gas card or gift certificate to their favorite coffee shop or restaurant in the Whites will help them fuel up before or after their hike!

If you are looking to give an experience, pay for a course at REI, AMC, or SOLO Schools (a Wilderness First Aid Course would be a great course to take!) There are also great workshops at NHBOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman).

Still looking for the perfect gift idea? Don’t miss these other suggestions: